Ditching dogs for the planet not an option

Linda Finlay will not be giving up her dogs any time soon – despite a call from researchers to swap dogs and cats for pets they can eat, like rabbits or chickens.

A longtime dog lover and dog training club member, Mrs Findlay couldn't imagine a life without Thomas, Zarah and Zoe – even if the Bernese Mountain Dog crosses and Alsatian labrador cross do have a carbon pawprint bigger than a Land Cruiser.

"They're like part of the family," Mrs Findlay said.

Victoria University professors Brenda and Robert Vale, architects who specialise in sustainable living, have recommended pet owners consider what impact their animals have on the environment in their book Time to Eat the Dog: The real guide to sustainable living.

The couple assessed the carbon emissions created by popular pets, taking into account the ingredients of pet food and the land needed to create them. MORE>>

They really got us talking about our pets, but it is sort of ludicrous to actually assess the carbon emissions, and think that dogs ONLY eat processed food! And besides, the processed food is the scraps that manufacturers don't actually want. It's not as if you are using the land to grow ONLY dog food!

Really rich for them to compare them to Landcruisers which take all incentive for exericise, like you would do for and with your dog, and the increase levels of oxitocins, and general better health. How does that equate in their calculations!